Codeup Teaches People the Skills They Need to Succeed

In a world where tech skills are becoming more and more crucial in the job market, how can you get ahead if you didn’t major in computer science and haven’t been coding since age 10?

Enter Codeup.

Codeup is a San Antonio-based career accelerator that prepares people for a career as a software developer.Co-located with a number of web development companies in San Antonio, Codeup creates a community where coders, entrepreneurs, and tech industry leaders can meet and collaborate in the hopes of bringing together amazing tech talent with employers that need them.

“We do more than develop tech talent for tech companies,” says Director of Student Experience Jenni White. “We really try to empower students by giving them a new skill set that allows them to have success at both traditional companies and technology companies.”

Codeup is all about education, and its company culture is no different. Students are encouraged to check out local tech meetups they find interesting, and the curriculum is ever-changing as instructors constantly improve their teaching styles and course material.

Because the company is small, it has an “all hands on deck” mentality where everyone helps with all aspects of the operation.

“You’re not part of some large organization where there are departments over here and you have no idea what they’re doing,” says Lead Instructor Ben Batschelet. “You're involved in every piece of the business on a day-to-day basis, and it’s fantastic.”

But just because Codeup takes its work seriously doesn’t mean the team doesn’t have a whole lot of fun. It’s not uncommon to see CEO Michael Girdley in an intense chess battle with a programming student or a number of team members heading to local food trucks together. And when it comes to special occasions, the people at Codeup have got most offices beat: They’ve rented out an entire theater to watch a Star Wars premiere before and they hosted an Ugly Sweater Party during the holidays.

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Lily Herman is a New York-based writer and editor. In recent months, her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, Glamour, Refinery29, Cosmopolitan, TIME, Newsweek, Fast Company, and Mashable. You can check out her website, LinkedIn, and Twitter.